‘IT RESTORED A BIT OF THEIR HUMANITY”: BRIDGING THE GAP THROUGH HANDS-ON INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare many of the social inequities and vulnerabilities within the American nursing home industry. Intergenerational learning is thought to be an effective approach to debunking ageism and addressing social isolation, especially in institutional care settings. This study used a mixed method approach to explore the benefits of intergenerational learning, here between college-aged students and nursing home residents. We analyzed qualitative observational data, including 56 hours of participant observation during TimeSlips™ sessions with 32 students and 30 residents at a nursing home in Worcester, Massachusetts. A content analysis of 68 student reflections on the classroom community-based learning (CBL) experience was also performed. This poster reports on the findings from the students who participated in the intergenerational learning project in 2020–2022. A series of common themes emerged. Many students began their experience as skeptics, but retrospectively reported that it was transformative. Personal interactions with elders revealed to students the shared humanity that had with older generations, which then forced them to confront their own ageism and ableism. Intergenerational learning also encouraged students to reflect on their lives, ask what type of person they want to be, what world they would like to live in, and gain new life lessons and perspectives on now to age meaningfully. The value of intergenerational learning far exceeds providing nursing home residents with social stimulation. It can be just as formative to the personal philosophies and outlooks of college-aged students. Intergenerational learning provides tangible and intangible “in-the-moment” benefits to those who participate.

promote education for FCGs. In April 2022, experts in the field of family caregiving from UC Davis and University of Utah schools of nursing, convened educators and champions of FCGs from across the country and formed the Family Caregiving Nursing Education Consortium to advance the inclusion of FCGs in nursing education in order to address the lack of standardized nursing competencies for family caregiving. The consortium consists of members from nine diverse universities representing member expertise in pediatrics, geriatrics, palliative care, disabilities, mental health, and underserved communities in order to address a broader range of health issues through the lifespan. Preliminary data were reviewed and identified as a framework, including Family Caregiver Competencies for Interprofessional Education (4 domains) developed by the school of nursing at UC Davis and the AACN Essentials (10 competency categories). Members mapped the family caregiving competencies to the AACN Essentials (2021) during monthly meetings. Though current work presented an early-stage outcome, it marched through crucial steps, including institutional environmental scans, needs assessments, and toolkit development, as building blocks that not only advanced the inclusion of family caregiving education in nursing curricula but also provided foundation to guide the next stage of work. Addressing ageism is essential to support older adult well-being. The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center (NRCNA) (1) examined the general characteristics, aging perceptions, and preferred training modalities of national aging nutrition network providers and (2) measured the impact an ageism webinar had on topic familiarity, knowledge, and behavioral intent. Frequencies were run to analyze the characteristics, aging perceptions, and behavioral intent while Wilcoxon signed rank tests measured outcome changes. Ageism was assessed via the W.H.O. Ageism Quiz (AQ) while aging perceptions were measured with the Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) and Expectations Regarding Aging (ERA). Respondents (n=1910) were primarily female (63%), non-Hispanic (90%), and white (87%) with an average age of 50 years. At least one-half had moderate ageism and aging perspective scores [Mean scores: AQ = 4.9±1.9 (max 8); FAQ =5.9±1.8 (max 10); ERA = 54.4±18.7 (max 100)]. The most preferred continuing education format was live webinars (44.3%). In response, a one-hour webinar about unconscious aging bias was offered in June 2022. A retrospective evaluation was used to assess the webinar impact (n=130 responses). A significant increase in subject matter familiarity (Z= -8.8, p < 0.0001) and knowledge (Z= -8.5, p < 0.0001) was noted. Further, analyses revealed positive attitudes (beneficial, good idea), perceived behavior control, indirect social norms (client support), and intent to reflect on past interactions with an older adult(s) to see how age-related biases might have influenced those interactions. These results illustrate the need for and the impact of ageism awareness training among those who work with the aging population.

AGE-INCLUSIVE PRINCIPLES ON CAMPUS: EMBRACING DIVERSITY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Kelly Munly, 1 and Lauren Jacobson 2 , 1. Penn Altoona,Pennsylvania,United States,2. Penn State Altoona,Altoona,Pennsylvania,United States In this poster, researchers based at a Mid-Atlantic university campus provide an understanding of their evaluative steps informing an adaptation of the Diversity Circles program to include a multigenerational component, supporting diversity across the lifespan. Project methods and analysis have been informed by critical theoretical frameworks, including feminist gerontology, that illuminate the invisibility of age, even in the context of intersectional work. Pilot feedback from five participants from a condensed program in an Adult Development and Aging course informed the interview approach. Post-program semi-structured interviews, with program participants, including students and older adults (n=7), and community stakeholders (n=18), provided feedback on diversity needs at the campus and in the surrounding community, as well as on program content and experience and opportunity for further curriculum integration of concepts of age-friendliness, ageism, and age-awareness. Stakeholders interviewed included community practicum liaisons, university advising and student affairs staff, faculty and staff previously engaging in diversity-related activities, university administrators, university personnel attending to enrollment matters, and staff and faculty interested in student-centered curriculum design. Semi-structured interviews were chosen for data collection because of their capacity to provide saturated data from a small, purposeful sample. Focused codes emergent from the interviews included both a) suggestions for curriculum adaptation and modification as well as the value of existing content and b) issues of age-friendliness and ageism more generally. The research team looks toward incorporating suggestions within their findings in an expansion of the program on their campus, and disseminating findings for the benefit of other campuses' programs.

'IT RESTORED A BIT OF THEIR HUMANITY": BRIDGING THE GAP THROUGH HANDS-ON INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING Katherine Meszaros, and Renee Beard, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare many of the social inequities and vulnerabilities within the American nursing home industry. Intergenerational learning is thought to be an effective approach to debunking ageism and addressing social isolation, especially in institutional care settings. This study used a mixed method approach to explore the benefits of intergenerational learning, here between college-aged students and nursing home residents. We analyzed qualitative observational data, including 56 hours of participant observation during TimeSlips™ sessions with 32 students and 30 residents at a nursing home in Worcester, Massachusetts. A content analysis of 68 student reflections on the classroom community-based learning (CBL) experience was also performed. This poster reports on the findings from the students who participated in the intergenerational learning project in 2020-2022. A series of common themes emerged. Many students began their experience as skeptics, but retrospectively reported that it was transformative. Personal interactions with elders revealed to students the shared humanity that had with older generations, which then forced them to confront their own ageism and ableism. Intergenerational learning also encouraged students to reflect on their lives, ask what type of person they want to be, what world they would like to live in, and gain new life lessons and perspectives on now to age meaningfully. The value of intergenerational learning far exceeds providing nursing home residents with social stimulation. It can be just as formative to the personal philosophies and outlooks of college-aged students. Intergenerational learning provides tangible and intangible "in-the-moment" benefits to those who participate.

A PILOT STUDY OF AN INTERGENERATIONAL BOOK CLUB: LESSONS LEARNED FOR IMPROVING FEASIBILITY Katelyn Frey, Jennifer Sublett, Jennifer Stanley, and Harvey Stearns, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, United States
Intergenerational book clubs have been successful in reducing ageist attitudes of younger adults (YA) while increasing feelings of social connectedness among older adults (OA;Lohman et al., 2003). We implemented both in-person (Nf11: YA=4, OA=7) and virtual (Nf8: YA=5, OA=3) modalities for an intergenerational book club to increase intergenerational interactions on campus, considering aging researchers' claim of heightened ageism and exacerbated loneliness following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Ayalon et al., 2020;Brooke & Jackson, 2020). Both groups met thrice over twelve weeks and completed measures on ageist attitudes (α=.83), engagement with the group (α=.91), and social connectedness (α=.91) each time. There was attrition in both groups (final meeting: Nf9 (in-person) and Nf3 (virtual)). To better understand overall motivations to participate and what factors may have contributed to attrition, we utilized content analysis with participants' feedback to examine their motivation for joining, what they enjoyed most after participating, and what they would improve. Participants were motivated to join because they enjoyed reading; comparatively, they enjoyed group discussions and hearing different perspectives. Future recommendations include meeting more often, increasing the number and size of groups, and scheduling meetings closer together. The majority wished to continue participating. The data suggest future expansion of intergenerational book clubs on campus are desired to support age-friendly interactions and needed to further examine if these interactions can curb ageism and increase social connectedness among diverse age groups. Discussion will include recommendations regarding measures, lessons learned for an optimal protocol, and next steps.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE DISCRIMINATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF DEPENDENT COMMUNITY DWELLING OLDER PERSONS
Felipe Sandoval Garrido, University of Tsukuba, TSukuba, Ibaraki, Japan The objective of this study is to examine the age discrimination suffered by dependent older adults and its effects on their quality of life, using a large representative cohort study. Dependency is defined as having difficulties with activities of daily living, both basic (ADL) and instrumental (IADL). To identify perceived ageism, we used data collected by the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) in 2010-2011 (wave 5) that asked respondents about being discriminated because of their age. Quality of life was measured using the CASP-19 scale. We performed both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses using the subsequent 2012-2013 (wave 6) and 2018-2019 (wave 9) follow-ups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios of experiencing perceived age discrimination. The results show that a quarter (22%) of all respondents experienced age discrimination. Those suffering from dependency and age discrimination had independently significant lower quality of life scores. Perceived age discrimination was crosssectionally associated with being male, white, in poor physical and mental health, highly educated, with lower wealth. Longitudinally, with being male (odds ratio -OR-: 1.5), highly educated (OR: 1.3), and poor mental health (OR: 1.7). However, quality of life change was not statistically significant among dependent older persons in subsequent waves. Understanding ageism is important to create policies for future interventions. The present results reinforce the idea of previously documented groups at risk of age discrimination in order to protect them, but also the complex panorama of bio-psychosocial determinants involved in tackling it.

OLDER, ENTITLED, & EXTREMELY OUT-OF-TOUCH: DOES "OK, BOOMER" SIGNIFY THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW OLDER ADULT STEREOTYPE?
Katelyn Frey, and Toni Bisconti, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, United States "OK, Boomer" is a phrase used online by younger adults to dismiss an older person for their perceived out-of-touch or offensive beliefs (Lorenz, 2019). An initial study utilizing content analysis techniques with a younger adult sample (N = 316) explored how two theoretical frameworks from the age stereotype literature, the Stereotype Content Model (Fiske et al., 2002) and Hummert et al.'s (1994) age stereotype categories, could explain this phenomenon and the enduring online references to "Boomers." We found that neither theory adequately captured how younger adults view the titular "Boomer;" the low-competence/ low-warmth quadrant of the Stereotype Content Model was the only quadrant with support (N = 32), albeit not a large amount, whereas the age stereotype category data revealed that "Boomers" partially overlapped with elements of the "Shrew/Curmudgeon," the "Severely Impaired," and the "John Wayne Conservative" to varying degrees. This necessitated a second study that used an open-ended, interpretative phenomenological analysis approach to better understand younger adults' perceived age-related stereotypes of "Boomers." Results identified seven unique characteristics ascribed to "Boomers" and older people in general: closed-minded, argumentative, out-of-touch, offensive, critical, nostalgic, and/or conservative, all of which